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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24793324">Lady and the Tramp</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/olderthanjoel/pseuds/olderthanjoel'>olderthanjoel</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThyDeviousViolet/pseuds/ThyDeviousViolet'>ThyDeviousViolet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:41:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,238</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24793324</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/olderthanjoel/pseuds/olderthanjoel, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThyDeviousViolet/pseuds/ThyDeviousViolet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe things in the Capitol Building go a bit better for Tess than in canon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellie &amp; Joel (The Last of Us), Ellie &amp; Tess (The Last of Us), Joel &amp; Tess (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Boston</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermint_smile/gifts">peppermint_smile</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Though some of Tess's back story is shared with <em>A Better Day Ahead</em> this is <strong>not</strong> a sequel.</p>
<p>This is intended to be a multi-chapter work that follows the trio along the journey from Part I. We are dropping this the day before the Part II release to ensure that no one reads it for a while because we'll all be busy playing the new game! No idea what we were thinking.</p>
<p>The archive warnings are preliminary and mostly don't apply to Chapter 1. We also may have to update the rating as things go on.</p>
<p>As always when it's about Tess, this is for peppermint_smile.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h2>Summer 2033 - Boston Quarantine Zone</h2>
<p>Tess just wanted her merchandise. And she wanted to bring Robert back to life, so she could shoot the stupid son of a bitch again. Having to buy <em>her own guns</em> back from the Fireflies because Robert had traded away merch he didn’t own! Well, he wasn’t going to get any deader than he was, no matter how much she would like that. And <em>how</em> they were going to pay to get their merchandise back was just final polish on this turd of a deal: smuggling a <em>kid</em> for god’s sake!</p>
<p>She and Joel had met the girl, much to his chagrin. Tess wasn’t really sure what all of <em>that</em> was about, though she had a good guess. She’d never seen him interact with a child before, aside from general pleasantries, which were far and few between. But, from the brief interaction she watched between them, Ellie was gasoline, and his pilot light was always burning. In <em>most</em> situations that was a good thing. They’d bickered right in front of her as Marlene all but bled out onto the floor. It was… almost childish.</p>
<p>She saw a reluctance in his eyes to take the kid seriously from the beginning. There was some small notion in the back of his mind that he simply would <em>not</em> allow her to tap into. He was clearly doing his damndest to keep her at arm’s length. Tess couldn’t respect the fact that he was already allowing himself to get worked up. If anything, it almost irked her to see him so uncharacteristically bothered, despite how well he tried to hide it. She could see it painted all over his face. There was something about this kid that had him under an un-Joel-like tension.</p>
<p>Hell, she had to give the kid credit. The moment they’d met she just got right under his skin. Tess knew she could elicit the same response, though usually took more effort. Kid had spunk. Maybe they’d get along just fine.</p>
<p>But, there were bigger fish to fry.</p>
<p>
  <em>“She’s just cargo, Joel."</em>
</p>
<p>Bizarre that they had ended up here. Earlier, Joel had expressed he wanted “to be left alone,” and she’d made a point to make the drop without him. That was before she got jumped by those guys. The moment it happened, it pissed her off above all else that she was going to have to explain her battered eye to him. She could care less about the licks they’d got in, but having to deal with an ever brooding Joel was a different story. She could tell it peeved him when she went off on her own. But, that’s why she’d kept him at <em>just</em> the appropriate distance this whole time. He’d lasted longer than any other guy who’d been her “muscle,” but give a little too much closeness and the muscle got stupid. And when they got stupid, they usually got dead. Let them have a share of the profits and eventually all of them had decided that meant a share of the bed as well. Some left after being rejected. Some decided to get ‘protective’ of her to demonstrate their affection and ended up not surviving an encounter with infected, or when a deal went south. So far, Joel was the first one to actually understand that this was a business arrangement. Little did she know this morning though, that they’d be snapping arms and killing their way through Boston in no time. Almost like the old days. The thought nearly caused a smug smile to form on her lips.</p>
<p>Marlene had showed her the guns and provided all the proof she needed to smuggle the girl. It was a no brainer, in her book. She’d kept Joel in charge of keeping the kid safe while she was gone. Figured she’d walk back into a hell of a scene between the two of them. But, she was met with a subtle uneasiness.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Wanna do this?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah.”</em>
</p>
<p>It was no surprise to her that Joel in fact did <em>not</em> want to do the job. Still, she had to give him credit for his attempt to lie for her sake. It was one of his perks, after all. One of the many things that made him the best man she’d ever known.</p>
<p>And then there was the girl…</p><h2>May 2014 - West Virginia</h2>
<p>Tess walked through the dappled sunlight breaking through the trees and, not for the first time today, adjusted the pistol holster at her belt. It felt strangely heavy today, but Daddy had absolutely insisted that if she was going to leave the camp alone that she had to take it with her. She’d tried to argue that there hadn’t been any Infected spotted near here in a while, but he’d just said that, “Infected aren’t the only danger in the woods. Lots of wildlife around these days. And other things. You know that, Princess.” Even now, at almost 18, she still got a warm feeling when he called her his ‘Princess Tess.’ Through all of this he’d been the anchor that kept this family secure.</p>
<p>God, they’d been here what, eight months, in a FEDRA trailer?</p>
<p>So, she’d said, “Okay, Daddy” and clipped on the holster, even though it meant that she now had to wear a jacket to keep it concealed. She didn’t have a permit but guessed that that wasn’t really a thing anymore anyway. She wasn’t 100% sure that the FEDRA security contingent at the camp knew that their family had the gun; best to keep it out of sight.</p>
<p>Daddy worked with the regional emergency management agency in Charlotte. And he took his job seriously; very much a ‘practice what you preach’ man. Tess had been 12, just about the age her sister Mandy (Daddy’s “Commander Amanda”) was now, when she realized that none of her friends’ families held regular fire drills at home. Or kept a stocked ‘jump bag’ for each family member that was updated quarterly with items that fit and were suitable for the season. And practiced retrieving those and loading up for a fast exit. Or... well, lots of stuff. They weren’t <em>exactly</em> wacko survivalists, but he spent his days planning for the worst scenarios for the entire tri-state region and it had generated some... overflow into daily life.</p>
<p>Last Spring, after she and Will had been dating for a while and it was getting close to prom, Daddy had caught her one evening after Mandy had gone to bed and handed her a small bag and said, “I hope you won’t need this, but if you do, then make sure you know how to use it.” He then walked away rather quickly.</p>
<p>Inside the bag was a folded slip of paper and a small, gift wrapped box. The paper had written on it, in Daddy’s unnaturally neat handwriting, what Tess thought of as the family motto: “Live for the best. Prepare for the worst.” The box didn’t seem heavy enough for a knife or a gun. She tore the wrapping off quickly and opened the box to reveal a small box of condoms and a pamphlet on their safe use and disposal. Even now, a year later, she blushed thinking about it.</p>
<p>In retrospect she realized Daddy’s plan had worked.  After that, there was no way that Will was getting anything after prom. Well, not anything that might require a condom anyway. The inventory <em>had</em> dwindled over the Summer.</p>
<p>Will. Oh God, Will. She’d last seen him when he dropped her off after taking her home from school. Seniors! Finally! He’d walked her to the door and given her a <em>very</em> nice goodbye kiss. Neither knew that by sundown she would be gone. She’d last spoken to him about three days later. His family was still trying to get their stuff together and get out of Charlotte. It sounded like things had gone to shit pretty fast. Right after that is when the cellular networks collapsed, and she hadn’t heard a thing from or about him since. She just hoped he wasn’t one of those... <em>things</em>.</p>
<p>That final afternoon in Charlotte was burned deep in her brain. Sure, she’d heard some news about some kind of weird sickness that was out there, but Daddy and guys like him dealt with this sort of stuff all the time. It was going to turn out okay. It always did. Mom was a writer; she worked from home, but at the moment was sitting at the kitchen island reading... something. Tess looked in the fridge to see what they might have that was cold to drink and tried to figure out how to convince her folks to get her one of those new iPhone 5c’s that had just come out. The blue or the yellow one would be great. The pink one was nice too. She didn’t even have a 4, hers was still a 3GS. It was <em>embarrassing</em>. About then her mom’s phone rang with the Darth Vader theme. Tess wondered for the ten thousandth time why Mom had picked that as her ringtone for Daddy. He was probably calling to say to not hold dinner for him. That had been the norm for a couple of weeks now. She listened as her Mom answered the phone on speaker.</p>
<p>Instead of her Daddy’s soft home voice she heard the clipped ‘business’ voice he used when he didn’t have much time, and something needed to be done.</p>
<p>“Jen, it’s time. Get the girls and head for the rendezvous camp. I’ll be along when I can. No idea when that might be. Leave the utilities on, I’m hoping I’ll be able to at least sleep at home once or twice.”</p>
<p>His voice softened, and even cracked a little, “Baby, this stuff is worse than we thought. We’re barely ahead of it right now. Don’t wait. Move!” And he disconnected.</p>
<p>Tess looked at her mom, who was as pale as Tess had ever seen her. She took a deep breath and said, “Tess, this is NOT a drill. Go get Amanda, get your jump bags and anything else you can grab in two minutes that you think you might need for an... extended camping trip. Get that stuff and Amanda in the Yukon and then help me with the cooler and the rations in the garage. We’ll take half of that and half of what’s in the fridge and leave the rest for your dad. Uh, I’ve got my pistol. Leave the rest of the guns here in case he needs them.</p>
<p>Fifteen minutes later they were in the SUV, already on Interstate 77, headed north.</p><h2>Summer 2033 - Boston Quarantine Zone</h2>
<p>
  <em>“Marlene set us up?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?”</em>
</p>
<p>Joel sauntered ahead and threw the Cordyceps monitor on the ground. Tess felt herself pause inside but continued to externally press the issue with the muscle. It was hard even for <em>her</em> to believe that this kid could be caught up in something greater than herself. What, she was fourteen and already had a cause? The mere suggestion that someone could be immune was questionable; if she hadn’t turned yet, who was to say she wouldn’t sooner rather than later? For all she knew, the kid could have been bitten a few hours before they met. But, why in the <em>world</em> would Marlene go to these lengths if that were the case? Tess wanted to stick to logic and rational evidence. After all, she was the brain of the organization.</p>
<p>There was something about the kid that she <em>trusted</em>. Even though she had no good reason, and they’d literally just met. She was aware of how ridiculous it seemed. It was just…a <em>feeling</em>. She could not recall the last time she’d just thrown caution to the wind and listened to her gut. But here she was, in front of Joel no less.</p>
<p>Joel was too busy, between scoffs and eye rolls, to pay any attention to what burned in his partner’s mind. Again, she had to give it to the kid for being able to hold her own against the both of them together. Neither of them were exactly soft or social creatures. But Ellie had a certain spunk that Tess held dear to her heart. She’d stabbed that soldier on a whim when she knew the monitor would test positive. Granted, she wanted to hold them up, not <em>kill</em> them, but her effort was still appreciated.</p>
<p>Kid needed to learn she couldn’t just stab a soldier when she got a wild hair up her ass and hope to talk her way out of it. Not without knowledge of the group dynamic, or without letting someone have a clue as to what impulsive thing she felt like acting on next. But those were lessons that could be taught between here and the Capitol. She had the spirit of a warrior.</p>
<p>Or…maybe the spirit of a commander. Tess felt her heart leap at the suggestion.</p>
<p>Suddenly, she knew she felt a bond with the Ellie, and she also knew she needed to chase it. Joel seemed to pick up on it, and it alarmed him, but he did his best to keep it to himself. Tess could appreciate the part of him that let her lead without too much mouth. Plus, if the girl was right about the bite, they might be able to score more out of the deal than originally planned. If worst came to worst, and the girl turned before they reached the Capitol, they’d just head on back and threaten Marlene for more. Especially given the fact that she left <em>that</em> particularly important detail out of the agreement.</p>
<p>It’s not like they had much to lose.</p>
<p>But, Tess hoped, for the girl’s sake, that she really was immune. She then had to remind herself that they were in this for the <em>guns</em>, and crammed her thoughts away before they continued on.</p>
<p>A shootout with a bunch of soldiers could certainly clear her head for a while.</p>
<p>After they trudged further, and into the skyscraper, things got complex. Ellie really hadn’t seen life outside. It was almost endearing if it weren’t so dangerous and painfully apparent out in the open. But she seemed quick to learn. Tess felt a crash course on infected and survival was oddly reminiscent of her time with little Mandy.</p>
<p>Of course, the topics <em>then</em> were of a simpler time. Hair and makeup seemed a little trite these days. Mandy had never taken an interest in the cosmetic side of things, but she did it to appease her big sister. At least it gave them some time to bond. The commander’s adventurous, down and dirty attitude was similar to the fiery little redhead with her now.</p>
<p>Maybe the kid would be all right after all.</p>
<p>Then, there was the mystery that was Joel. There was never any doubt in her mind that he was one of the most competent men she'd ever known. It was a huge reason they ran together. It was all a little more personal than either of them wanted to admit. But <em>this</em> Joel had more nuances than the man she thought she knew a few hours ago. He’d cleared waves of infected with some strange mix of stealth and guns blazed. He sort of ebbed in and out of his instincts and put his ass on the line to keep them safe.</p>
<p>There was this feeling in her belly that leapt when she saw him in action. These weren’t rational beings, they were monsters for God’s sake, and he navigated the entire situation without the blink of an eye.</p>
<p>What the fuck was that all about? Joel hated infected. It wasn’t really a secret. But here he was, suddenly a professional because survival called for it. He was a man who knew how to rise to the occasion. And she had some small notion that his goal might be rooted in his travel companions more than himself. Joel, who didn’t want <em>any</em> part of this job, and who didn’t want to be anywhere <em>near</em> a teenage girl, put his ass on the line <em>every</em> time.</p>
<p><em>Looks like</em> <em>Texas still got it…</em></p>
<p>Maybe all the adrenaline in her veins made her peculiar. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. But she liked it. Whatever shade of survival he wore looked especially attractive given the circumstance. Ugh, she really needed to get her head right.</p>
<p>Maybe he had a point. Maybe they should take it easy after all was said and done…even though the idea used to make her skin crawl. But, hell, maybe it was worth it. Not like they were gonna get any younger.</p>
<p>When they ended up separated in the museum, she felt sick to her stomach for his sake, despite knowing that he could take care of himself. Tess and Ellie continued to struggle for a few moments on their own, and then <em>it</em> happened.</p>
<p><em>It. Fucking. Happened</em>.</p>
<p>She knew better; all those emotions were bound to be her downfall. First time in years she’d felt all that at once, and of course she’d find this end. She almost couldn’t believe it.</p>
<p>She felt that fucking monster <em>breathe</em> on her neck, and the heat caused her to shudder. It smelled of earth and rotten flesh. She fought against it as it nipped and tore against her collar. Felt herself yelp for the first time in <em>years</em> from absolute terror.</p>
<p>Then, Joel barged in the room and suddenly all was right. His face was searching, as if to make an inventory of her body to make sure she was safe. There was no <em>way</em> that had just happened. She pretended everything was fine. When he moved on ahead to check on Ellie, she took a brief moment to process.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fuck. Me.</em>
</p>
<p>The clock ticked, now. The only rational thing that could make the whole thing worthwhile was getting the girl to the Capitol safely. The task itself was obviously more difficult that she’d anticipated. She felt guilty to have Joel involved in this mess, and here she was about to keel over once they'd finish.</p>
<p>Maybe the kid wouldn’t have to know. Fireflies would take her off their hands soon enough.</p>
<p>She could break the news to Joel as soon as they had some time alone. Owed him that much at least. And, she found peace to know he’d have a safe route back by himself.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, is that everything you hoped for?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Jury’s still out.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“But, man... you can’t deny that view.”</em>
</p>
<p>It broke her heart and infuriated her to watch the exchange between Joel and Ellie.</p>
<p>
  <em>Not you too, big guy. We cannot afford this right now. I already made that mistake.</em>
</p>
<p>Here he was, sentimental after the hell they’d just been through, none the wiser to what happened with her. The clock continued to tick, and he was suddenly glossy eyed and soft. And looking at that damned broken watch of his, again! It made sense to her why he’d been so opposed to this thing the whole time.</p>
<p>She hated to know he was right in that way. <em>This</em> was why people kept their distance. God, she didn't want to have to tell him, but she didn’t have much time.</p>
<p>“Hey! Pick it up,” she spat at him to keep his head in the game, she could tell she’d ripped him out of some little moment. He was annoyed, if not surprised, but he thought she was right. Not that it mattered.</p>
<p>Kid had a way of influence, that much was true. Maybe she <em>was</em> the god damn cure for mankind. All Tess knew was that she’d get her to the Capitol in one piece. She’d fight to her last stop with ferocity. If she had enough time afterward to tell Joel how she really felt, maybe she could go in peace.</p>
<p>It’s not like she had a choice, anymore.</p><h2>May 2014 - West Virginia</h2>
<p>Tess chastised herself for letting her thoughts descend into the ‘depression zone.’ This hike was supposed to be about springtime and renewal and <em>happy thoughts! </em>She spent the next hour or so enjoying nature. This really is beautiful country. Perfect for a nice weekend camping trip. Not so much for 8 months... <em>HAPPY THOUGHTS! </em></p>
<p><em>She</em> convinced herself to think about Mandy. Her little sister was such a great kid! And she’d taken to all of Daddy’s outdoor activities like a duck to water. Little Tess had always been willing to go do everything outdoorsy, provided they also spent some time talking about dresses, or hair styles, or trying out some new nail polishes. She had earned “Princess Tess” honestly, even she would agree to that. But ‘Commander Amanda,’ with her take charge approach to life was Daddy’s pride and joy. Strangely, Tess didn’t feel any jealousy about that. She’d had him all to herself for nearly 6 years, and it was about another 5 before Mandy was big enough to fully take over responsibility as Daddy’s caretaker of fun and games. Tess had actually felt a little relieved that she was passing that baton on to such capable hands.</p>
<p>It had taken Tess about two days of talking to others in the camp to realize that this camp wasn’t a random relocation site. Everyone here was related to an EMA official from the region. She suspected that it may not even officially exist. She felt a little guilty about this and discussed it with her mom.</p>
<p>“Mom, this isn’t <em>right</em>. We got a free pass to safety because of who Daddy is.”</p>
<p>Her mom did that thing where she rubbed the bridge of her nose with the first two fingers of her left hand, always a sign that this was a serious conversation. “Tess, I said almost the same thing to your father when he told me about this place and provided directions to get here.</p>
<p>“His... their rationale is that knowing their families are safe will allow them to all be more effective in performing their jobs and will ultimately save more lives.  Frankly, sounds like bullshit to me, but if it keeps you and Mandy alive, I don’t think I care.”</p>
<p>Mandy had moped around the camp for the two weeks it took for Daddy to arrive. He arrived on a FEDRA truck with the rest, no, the <em>remainder,</em> of the Charlotte-based crew. The entire group smelled of sweat and smoke. He’d lost weight, looked like he had been in those same clothes for several days, and didn’t appear to have slept in just as long. He did still have the strength to catch the 12-year-old missile that launched herself at him at full throttle. “Daddy!”</p>
<p>She’d watched as Daddy, after hugging Mandy and disentangling himself, had walked over to the spouses of two of his team that were not on the truck and explained that they wouldn’t be coming after all.</p>
<p>That was the first of many times she heard open weeping in the camp.</p>
<p>Any hope that he’d have more of their belongings with him was dashed pretty quickly. Their entire subdivision had apparently gone up in a great conflagration a few days after they had left in such a rush. That was just... stuff. At least they still had each other.</p>
<p>They settled into a bit of a routine over the ensuing months. Daddy would occasionally head off for a few days, but he was never gone for more than that. The plan hadn’t been to be at the camp for this long, but FEDRA was still bringing supplies regularly. He said that FEDRA was setting up ‘Quarantine Zones’ in cities that had not had major outbreaks. They all seemed to be to the north, the fungus that was causing this appeared to have arrived first across the southern US. There was hope that soon they would have a rapid test for infection, and when that happened, they could begin relocating the healthy from the triage camps into the “QZ’s.”</p>
<p>There weren’t many people her age here. Most of the EMA personnel were either older, with children who were no longer dependent (god, wondering what happened to your kids and grandkids must hurt so badly), or were younger, with smaller children. Mandy’s age group and younger were pretty well represented. Tess had taken her turn in helping to keep the younger ones busy and entertained during the winter months. She was the ‘big sister’ to a couple of dozen kids now.</p>
<p>The FEDRA contingent consisted largely of young men who were closer to her age, but while they were interested in ... companionship, they weren’t interested in friendship as such. Given the gigantic Will shaped hole in her heart, the last thing she wanted was a boyfriend. A couple had been a bit more insistent, but even they had backed off quickly once they found out who her father was. The ones that had arrived from Charlotte with Daddy all looked at him with a bit of hero worship in their eyes. Word had gotten around within the contingent that they’d only made it out because of something he had done. What, exactly, she didn’t know. Daddy didn’t want to talk about any of the details of those two weeks of hell, and she didn’t want to hear the details from anyone else. Sooner or later she would get the story from him. For now, she was just grateful that she could walk through the camp without being bothered.</p>
<p>Not that they were bad men, just young and lonely. Those earnest young men had worked hard to keep the camp secure. The first infected she had seen had been when a fast moving group of them had emerged from woods in the Fall and headed straight toward a group of children playing near the large tent that served as the camp’s ‘dining hall.’ Gabe had been the one that had sounded the initial alarm. They moved to place themselves between the children and the ‘runners’ and dropped them with precision. Gabe was one of the few in the group that hadn’t made any advances toward her. She did worry that he seemed to spend a bit too much time paying attention to the little girls around Amanda’s age. One time when they were talking, he’d said he missed his little sister; she was probably just being paranoid. After all, if he hadn’t been watching they could easily have lost a child or two to those <em>creatures</em>. Still, she’d warned Mandy to never be alone with him. Live for the best. Prepare for the worst.</p>
<p>Since then the camp had been secured much more heavily. There was a complete rectangular perimeter fence in place with one manned drive-through gate by the road and a double-gate ‘man trap’ on each of the other three sides. They weren’t automated, but everyone knew to never open both gates at the same time, and the two gates were offset so even if they were both open a straight on charge wouldn’t work. It wasn’t a system that wouldn’t keep out people, but it was effective against the infected. They had had one more group of infected rush the camp after the barrier system was in place. The infected had just piled up against the fence and turned into target practice for their guardians. At least that time they had been able to herd the little ones into the dining hall, so they only had to hear, and not see, the carnage.</p>
<p>Formal school hadn’t happened at all in the camp, or anywhere, as far as she knew. So instead of preparing for graduation, here she was, walking in the woods. Guess that was going to have to do for pomp and circumstance. At least it was beautiful here. Probably time to head back. She turned around and began retracing her path toward the camp.</p>
<p>She hadn’t been gone that long, it was no later than mid-afternoon. She really needed to get a watch. Who, under the age of 40, had used watches when cell phones always had the time? Maybe they’d have cell service in the quarantine zone, whenever they managed to get there.</p>
<p>Camp ought to be just over the next couple of little hills. The fuck is that‽ Gunshots? Shit! Better move quick, but stay quiet and not draw any attention. Last thing she needed was one of those FEDRA boys shooting past her at an infected. Most of those guys were decent shots up close, but she’d watched some of them practice at longer distances and felt it was safer to not be anywhere near the line of fire. Maybe if it was Daddy, or Mandy. That kid had the makings of a decent sniper. She was almost as good as Mama and probably about as good at Daddy at 100 yards or so.</p>
<p>Their trailer “home” was on the western edge of the camp, only about 20 yards from the fence and not quite in line with the inner man-trap gate. Tess had headed straight out that gate when she left this morning and had, for the most part, worked westward and then back. She didn’t see any infected near her and guessed that they hadn’t arrived from this direction, but she got low and approached the top of the final hill above the camp in an “army crawl.” No sense standing up and taking a stray round, or a not stray round fired by someone who didn’t look closely in the middle of the panic; the sun was pretty much heading behind her now and infected and healthy cast the same shadow profile. Prepare for the worst.</p>
<p>It wasn’t Infected attacking the camp.</p><h2>Summer 2033 - Boston Quarantine Zone</h2>
<p>Tess turned the corner and headed toward the Capitol Building. Behind her shoulder heard Joel say, “Home stretch, Tess.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, Texas! You have no idea how true that statement is.</em>
</p>
<p>Tess just wanted to get the kid turned over to the Fireflies as quickly as possible. She had some things she needed to say to Joel before she ensured that her brain was... inhospitable for fungal growth.</p>
<p>And of course it was flooded right in front of the entrance to the building. Nothing like finishing out what was shaping up to be the second worst day of your life by putting a bullet in your own head while wearing wet underwear!</p>
<p>They trudged up the steps and opened the door, only to see bloody corpses on the floor.</p>
<p><strong>“</strong>No. No, no, no.”</p>
<p>She heard Ellie say something to Joel, but it didn’t register.</p>
<p><strong>“</strong>What are you doing, Tess?” Joel exclaimed.</p>
<p><strong>“</strong>Oh god. Maybe they, ah, maybe they had a map or something to tell us where they were going.” She tried to grip reality with relentless, idealistic expectation.</p>
<p>“How far are we going to <em>take</em> this?” He urged, to try and knock some sense into her.</p>
<p>“As far as it needs to go!” she insisted. She could tell by the look on his face that he was quickly losing patience.</p>
<p>She looked toward Ellie. ”Where was this lab of theirs?”</p>
<p>“She never said. She only mentioned it was someplace out west.”</p>
<p>“What are we doing here? This is <em>not</em> us.” Joel didn’t know yet that there wasn’t an ‘us’ any longer, but Tess couldn’t suppress her anger. Whether she was angry with Joel, herself, or the God she’d quit believing in 20 years ago she wasn’t quite sure.</p>
<p>“What do you know about us? About me?”</p>
<p>“I know that you are smarter than <em>this</em>.”</p>
<p>“Really? Guess what, we're shitty people, Joel. It's been that way for a long time.”</p>
<p>“No, we are survivors!”</p>
<p>Oh god, that cut like a knife!</p>
<p>But she went on, “This is our chance-”</p>
<p>“-It is over, Tess! Now we tried. Let's just go home.” His voice boomed with just enough unrelenting belief that the tiny bits left of her heart shattered.</p>
<p>She felt the tears welling, “I’m not...I'm not going anywhere. This is my last stop.”</p>
<p>“What?” He griped, fully annoyed by now at their disagreement. She felt it fitting that now, of all times, he’d suddenly decided to intervene on her calling the shots.</p>
<p>“Our luck had to run out sooner or later.” She threw it out there as a start.</p>
<p>“What are you going on about?” He reached for her.</p>
<p>“No <em>don’t</em>! Don't touch me…” she continued to back away, fearful of herself and his stubborn streak.</p>
<p><em>Ellie</em> had it figured out. She just stared with an incredulous expression painted on her face, and muttered, “Holy shit. She's infected.”</p>
<p>Joel looked at Tess, and huffed. “Let me see it.” He offered it casually, almost like he couldn’t allow himself to believe it. She felt her defense grow weak.</p>
<p>“I didn't mean for this-“</p>
<p>“Show it to me,” he demanded. She gritted her teeth and felt something break inside.</p>
<p>Tess grabbed her collar and pulled it back.</p>
<p>“Oh, Christ.” He had a look on his face that she’d never seen before. It must be bad.</p>
<p>“Oops, right?” At least sarcasm had never failed her before.</p>
<p>“No Tess, it…,” this time he moved so fast that she couldn’t avoid his touch. He pulled the collar back and then she felt his hand touch her collar, her shoulder, then her neck. It was incredibly sore.</p>
<p>“Oh darlin’ - you have got to be the luckiest woman on the planet! That’s the nastiest bruise I’ve ever seen, but I don’t think it broke the skin.” He took his flask and poured some of the disinfectant on her shoulder. She felt the cold and wet, but no stinging. There really did appear to be no breaks in the skin.</p>
<p>She was stunned. She had spent the last hour reconciling herself to dying and wasn’t sure what to do now.</p>
<p>“But how,” she began, only to the hear the sounds of a truckload of soldiers pulling up out front; a voice issuing orders. Now what? She was normally so decisive, and suddenly felt overwhelmed. Maybe it was time for his stubborn streak to take over. It was lucky she trusted him more than anyone. Overwhelmed, sure, but fully trusting. Fuck, her head was swimming. And <em>fuck</em>, did she feel so filled with gratitude. That was a new one…</p>
<p>Joel grabbed her hand to get her moving and the three of them exited the lobby and made their way upstairs.</p>
<p>Later, Tess tried to recall what had happened as they worked their way through the Capitol Building. She knew it had been swarming with soldiers and that she and Ellie had followed Joel as he made his way through them, moving like an angel of death. Somehow, they emerged out the other side, Joel carrying a rifle he had managed to acquire along the way.</p>
<p>They had also traversed a flooded, spore-filled subway line. She did remember pointing a floating pallet out to Joel and suggesting that that could be used to ferry Ellie across the water as they made their way to the exit.</p>
<p>But her memories only really began to clear after they emerged once again into sunlight.</p>
<p>They found a well-lit, but quiet place and Joel did a more thorough examination of her injury. Ellie was peering over his shoulder, first with a look of concern, and then one of relief.</p>
<p>She and Joel had made camp outside the Boston QZ dozens of times and had seen each other in various states of dishabille on many occasions. Joel had always been workmanlike and never leered or attempted to take any advantage. That was part of what made him the “keeper” he had become. He didn’t do anything untoward this time either. This time it was <em>her</em>.</p>
<p>Somehow, dropping her shirt down off her shoulder, and the feeling of those strong fingers probing the area brought forth feelings she’d never had (or was it just never admitted to?) for Joel. She knew she flushed from the touch, but hoped that the other two would count that as the results of their recent exertions. Adrenaline was a hell of a drug. She was certainly glad for the presence of the girl. That was probably the only thing that held her back from doing something that she’d regret later.</p>
<p>Eventually everyone agreed that she had somehow survived the attack, despite having a clear set of horseshoe shaped bruises across the affected area. The prevailing theory, presented by Joel was that she had been “gummed hard by an Infected who’d lost his dentures.”</p>
<p>Maybe there was a God after all - and She certainly had a wicked sense of humor.</p>
<p>The conversation moved on to the “what’s next” discussion. Returning to the Boston QZ didn’t seem like a good move. Dying in a hail of bullets after what they’d been through to get just this far seemed like a bad idea. After her close call it appeared to Tess that attempting to get the girl to this Firefly lab “out west” was the way to proceed. A vaccine was beginning to sound like a really great idea. If only they had a clue where that lab might be. Eventually it occurred to Tess that they needed to find Joel’s brother.</p>
<p>“Joel, we’ve got to get this girl to Tommy. He used to run with this crew, he'll know where to go. You said he was out west somewhere too. Do you know where?”</p>
<p>Joel sighed, “Last I heard he was in Wyoming. That’s a damned long way to walk for folks carrying nothing but day packs. You reckon you might be able to talk Bill into helping set us up for the trip? Hell, he might even know where we could get a car!”</p>
<p>Tess grinned at him. “Texas, I don’t see why not. He does owe us a few favors at that.”</p>
<p>“Well, we’d best be heading toward Lincoln then. If we push hard, we can probably make it before dark.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lincoln</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Summer 2033-Lincoln</strong>
</p>
<p>There was a sense of liberation outside the concrete jungle. It all felt wild; unkempt, dangerous, and a little bit humbling. Just the kind of sensation to get an adrenaline rush going. She could appreciate the novelty of the kid having never been this far out before. Ellie sort of gaped and gazed. Tess almost envied how overwhelming it must feel to see everything for the first time. But, she also felt a small sense of pride as an <em>usher</em> of sorts. Ellie would have moments of endless prattle followed by silent wonderment. </p>
<p>As they approached Lincoln’s gate, she noticed the girl became excited at the sight of fireflies. <em>Real</em> fireflies, that is. Tess tried her best to stifle a smile; she felt a warmth starting to grow. Joel continued to cautiously take her in, but it seemed to Tess he had finally started to accept that she was an okay kid.</p>
<p>Tess loved the thrill, and it was nice to be in the woods again. Took her back to the days with her father. On the other hand, Joel was always vigilant, but he now looked fully unconvinced they’d get very far on this job. He’d even mumbled as much to Ellie as she took it all in, but had said it just low enough for Tess to question if he’d said anything at all. Despite his hesitation, here he was fully committed, enticed with Tess by his side after an all together, <em>too damn close</em> call.</p>
<p>None of them fully understood how they’d managed to come thus far.</p>
<p>“Where we headed, boss? Town’s all gated up,” he finally interjected. Tess scoffed, and shook her head.</p>
<p>“Bill’s nothing if not thorough. But we’ll get through. C’mon,” she remarked, and led them around the left side of the fence. Joel studied her carefully, as she strutted toward a wooden plank that had been all but overlooked in the overgrowth. He continued to eye her as she sat it next to a small structure, and then climbed on top.</p>
<p>“<em>You’ve</em> never been here before, have you?” Ellie correctly deduced to Joel, as Tess continued to lead the way inside the fence. Joel paused and was silent for a moment.</p>
<p>
  <em>Kid’s fucking good.</em>
</p>
<p>“No, uh, Bill was always her thing. Most of what we do…uh, it’s…it’s all Tess,” he managed to mumble, voice thick with something she couldn’t really put her finger on.</p>
<p>Tess finally looked over her shoulder, and found him looking right inside her, past whatever bullshit defense she’d built up. His gaze nearly caused her to ignite, and she felt herself soften. It was about as much affection she’d ever sensed from him. Then again, she’d never had a near death experience before. Maybe she was the one getting soft. Admittedly, she liked it.</p>
<p>Ellie seemed to sense it too.</p>
<p>“Uh, ohhkay. So… tell me about Bill. How do we even know where he is inside here?” she questioned. Tess merely pointed to smoke rising in the west.</p>
<p>“<em>That’s</em> Bill. He’s got a safe house on some high ground there at the church. Once we get inside this fence, I’ll let him know we’re here.”</p>
<p>“Is he expecting you?” Ellie added. Tess raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“No, but he’ll know it’s me. I’m the only one crazy enough to come walking through here. We have a system. We <em>trust</em> the system.”</p>
<p>“Whole town’s booby trapped. Bill’s an interestin’ fella,” Joel interjected with a mumble.</p>
<p>Tess always sensed the <em>tiniest</em> inkling of envy in how her partner felt about Bill. Probably because Joel didn’t really understand. Truth was that they had been at this business for quite some time. Pre-established before Joel had ever been around. Tess trusted Bill with just about anything. And, <em>that</em> was rare. Maybe Joel felt the same wasn’t always the case for him. There was a time, on their first few runs together, when Tess had made it painfully clear she didn’t feel fully assured about him yet. They’d walked on eggshells for a while until she finally felt satisfied she’d tested his mettle. Joel still wasn’t sure when he’d earned that honor. But, he knew not to mess it up.</p>
<p>Tess, on the other hand, knew it down to the moment. Funny enough, it hadn’t been a moment of bravado, but rather, consideration. It was a particularly cold first winter in their partnership. Joel grumbled one day that she “oughta have a pair of decent gloves” if they were going to continue to work during the Boston winter. She’d scoffed and blown it off, ignored her chapped, numb hands that felt frozen to the bone, and held them in her raggedy coat pockets. A few days later, without any discussion, she found a small, shabby pair of gloves placed in front of her apartment door.</p>
<p>Bill, on the other hand, had earned her confidence quickly. He had survival on his mind, and he didn’t give a damn about much else. He didn’t let himself get distracted, and self-discipline was just about the only thing keeping him going. Sure, his methods were…unbridled. . But she couldn’t argue with results. Bill trusted Tess because she was greedy, and honest about it. Both of them knew exactly what to expect from each other without any excess.</p>
<p>“Bill’s a good guy. We go way back. What can I say, I have a taste for burly men with a chip on their shoulder,” she reassured, though quick to add a jab. Joel almost smiled, but didn’t acknowledge it.</p>
<p>“Okay, so we let Bill know we’re here…then what?” Ellie asked.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna wanna collect some supplies around here while we wait. But <em>be</em> fucking careful. Those things will blow your leg off,” Tess continued on.</p>
<p>Ellie nodded, eager but fearful. Joel started to set off in the other direction, and turned around to look at the pair.</p>
<p>“C’mon kid, you heard the lady. Let’s find us some supplies while she figures out what we’re doin’ here,” he called over his shoulder.</p>
<p>Ellie all but scampered off to follow.</p>
<p>Tess looked around for a moment. The weather had caused more overgrowth than she was accustomed to at the site. But as she explored, down the steps and around the far left corner of the town, she found what she was after. There was a wooden box tucked away, filled with the makings of a colored smoke bomb.</p>
<p>She made a list in her head and ensured she had enough supplies to craft: potassium nitrate, sugar, baking soda, indigo, toilet paper roll, duct tape, fuse, a battered sauce pan, and a fire starter. Bill’s handy work, but he’d taught her the way. Surely, he’d have been on an NSA watch list if they’d lived in different times. But his commitment to the craft was impressive.</p>
<p>
  <em>Crazy bastard, I’ve missed you.</em>
</p>
<p>While she played mad scientist, she thought to herself, in the first moment of peace she’d had since the shit show they just experienced.</p>
<p>Her heart wanted to burst out of her chest in relief. Sure, she always knew she had a reserved respect for Joel. But, all that time keeping him at arms length suddenly seemed wasteful. He was a good man. Hell, he was actually the best man she’d come to know after her father. Joel had his issues, but he managed to speak softly and carry a big stick. He had no quarrel with letting her lead, doing all kinds of stuff that she’d gotten them into. Although he’d been the one asking to settle down, she didn’t think it seemed so bizarre after all. She initially assumed it was because he was older, and tired. She wanted to resent him for wanting to slow down at first. But now, she seemed convinced it was all because of the way he felt about <em>her</em>. Maybe she’d willingly made herself blind at his affectionate attempts. Neither of them were very warm. Intimacy was him holding a clean cloth and isopropyl to a wound she’d earned. Or him curtly asking where she’d been after a short disappearance without her explanation. Patient, gentle, Joel. Not the big bad wolf he assumed himself to be…only when required.</p>
<p>Something started to flicker inside her the last few hours. And, as she watched him interact with Ellie, it <em>smoldered</em>. She knew he’d been a father once. Only after she’d pried it out of him, and he didn’t mention it after it was over. She wasn’t dumb enough to yank at that heart string again.</p>
<p>Although he kept the girl at arm’s length, she could tell he was fighting some instinct inside himself. She recalled when he’d tried to warn Ellie about safely walking across that board back in Boston. If she hadn’t been so distracted by her own mortality at the time, she could have fully appreciated how <em>big</em> that was for him to do. How long had it been since he’d tapped into that? Fuck, it was the most attractive thing she’d ever seen.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Ellie had conjured things she hadn’t felt in years. Not that they were strong, but the mere suggestion of them surprised Tess. The girl had been thrown into a series of events that were totally out of her control, but she seemed to be dealing with them in earnest. Whether it was her wonderment or naïveté, she couldn’t tell, but the sense that she was experiencing everything for the first time was not lost on Tess. She almost felt bad for the kid. Tess had been young when the outbreak happened, but Ellie didn’t know anything else. In some ways, perhaps she was more prepared because of it. The world hadn’t broken her yet, but struggle was instilled in her from birth. She had the makings of a hell of a warrior if she could learn the expertise. Especially if she wanted it enough.</p>
<p>Maybe she wouldn’t have to learn all of it to complete the journey. Survival was different than what Tess and Joel did. They chose to profit from their skillset, or rather were forced to do the only thing they knew how to do. Perhaps Ellie could learn just enough to maintain some sense of morality. Tess scoffed at the idea, but she wanted that much for Ellie.</p>
<p>
  <em>Just get the girl there in one piece.</em>
</p>
<p>How in the world they were going to get this kid to the Fireflies was a long shot, but Tess felt assured they would make do. Joel obviously wasn’t quite there yet, but in time she was sure he’d feel the same. Tess would set the pace, and Joel would match. Despite how much she dared him on, he just wouldn’t retreat. Perhaps that’s why their partnership worked. She wouldn’t tolerate any less.</p>
<p>Joel and Ellie returned not long after. Tess had started to show Ellie how to start a proper fire, as the sun was starting to set. They’d probably rest up before Bill came, and who knew how long it would take him to find a working car. Joel crafted quietly on his own, lost in his thoughts somewhere. Tess would look over her shoulder on occasion to try and read where he was at. She wasn’t making much progress. She’d catch some side eye from him from time to time, but he wouldn’t make direct eye contact.</p>
<p>Ellie was becoming progressively more frustrated with the fire.</p>
<p>“Fucking thing…” she muttered, and continued to press on with the bow drill. She could be incredibly stubborn, and Tess admired her in silence.</p>
<p>“Just keep at it. We’ve got time to kill. They didn’t teach you this kind of thing in school?” Tess prodded. Ellie glanced up and scoffed.</p>
<p>“Well <em>yeah</em>, in theory, but it’s not like we got out to practice. Infected, ya know? Not the best time to take some kids outside,” she mumbled in irritation.</p>
<p>“I’m kind of surprised they didn’t. Not like they really give a shit about us back in Boston anyway. Less mouths to feed would benefit everyone,” Tess grumbled to herself. She paused for a moment, in the hope that she hadn’t been too harsh. Ellie stopped and looked up at her.</p>
<p>“Fuck, you’re a cynic,” she mused, but appeared entertained. Tess just shrugged. Maybe she’d had a different experience.</p>
<p>“Boston is a nasty place. Were they good to you kids? They couldn’t care less about the rest of us.”</p>
<p>“Good…how? We were fed. Sheltered. I think that covers it,” Ellie remarked, and went back to the bow drill.</p>
<p>Tess watched her carefully. There wasn’t an inkling of sarcasm. In her mind, the bare minimum was care. They truly had come from two different worlds. Then there was Joel, who had the most experience before it all fell apart. Tess glanced over to see if he’d caught that, and found him frozen, looking the girl. He then briefly made eye contact with Tess, before he glanced away and continued to craft.</p>
<p>It felt strange, not being able to read him. She was normally pretty good at it, despite him not being much help in the communication department. However, it was hard to interpret him now.</p>
<p>“Oh fuck yeah, I got it!” Ellie interjected.</p>
<p>There were small flames and little wisps of smoke. Tess smiled and bent down to help.</p>
<p>“There, hurry, add the tinder and blow on it. Now the kindling…” she gently encouraged.</p>
<p>“Holy shit!” Ellie continued to cheer.</p>
<p>“Might wanna lower your voice. Bill gets jumpy. Who knows what else is hidin’ in town. Tess?” Joel finally interjected, and looked to Tess for help.</p>
<p>“He’s right. But…good job kid.”</p>
<p>Ellie grinned from ear to ear.</p>
<p>They took shifts napping. Ellie and Joel first, and Tess would be next. She wondered what the hell was taking Bill so long.</p>
<p>Nearly on cue, she heard one of Bill’s traps go off, followed by the screech of infected. She tensed, and grabbed her pistol.</p>
<p>“Joel, now,” she muttered, and tapped him with her foot as she braced and examined the dark. Joel shot up immediately, and felt for his gun.</p>
<p>“One of Bill’s traps?” he asked, brow furrowed. Tess nodded.</p>
<p>“Maybe they heard us…” she remarked to herself.</p>
<p>“Pretty hard not to, Ellie screamin’ about fire,” Joel chided. She rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“C’mon, that was a while ago. They gotta be on about something else. Maybe it’s Bill.”</p>
<p>Some infected started to stalk around the far end of town. They were able to hear them before being able to properly see. Looked like 2 clickers and a handful of runners. They continued to hear more screeching beyond the fence, but were safe inside from most of the threat.</p>
<p>
  <em>Bill’s gonna be pissed.</em>
</p>
<p>“Bill ain’t dumb enough to set off his own traps, is he?” Joel asked. She paused for a moment.</p>
<p>“No…no he’s not.”</p>
<p>“They’re gettin’ closer while we wait. We gonna take care of this or just let em’ waltz on over here?” Joel finally grumbled, clearly irritated at the situation.</p>
<p>“I’m not keen on causing more ruckus,” she stated.</p>
<p>“This ever happen to you before?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” she admitted.</p>
<p>“Often?” he pressed.</p>
<p>“…No.”</p>
<p>Joel sighed, and rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey, get up, we’re movin’. Be quiet,” he jostled Ellie awake. She looked confused for a moment before she heard the commotion, and froze.</p>
<p>“We’re not going anywhere. We’re gonna wait this out. Bill’s even more inclined to head straight to us now. We just gotta wait for him before we take these guys out.”</p>
<p>“We’re gonna stealth this? C’mon Tess,” Joel grumbled.</p>
<p>“We gotta stealth it, or risk more traps,” she glared it him. He thought it over for a second before he realized she was correct.</p>
<p>“Jesus Christ, Bill,” he finally mumbled.</p>
<p>Another trap shot off in the distance, far beyond where she was able to grasp.</p>
<p>“You weren’t kidding about these traps. Fuck,” Ellie muttered.</p>
<p>“We ain’t kiddin’ about Bill either. He’s gonna be jumpy as hell now,” Joel groaned.</p>
<p>Nearly on point, Bill climbed his way down from a ladder on a building just up ahead. He looked really pissed off, and sauntered toward them silently. Tess raised her eyebrows, and Joel put his head down. It was as much of a cower as she’d ever get from him. It almost amused her. Bill pointed to the infected they’d been tracking, and raised his arms in a <em>“What the fuck is this?”</em> stance, but continued to head toward his new guests.</p>
<p>“You all have some god damn gall walkin’ in like this, setting off not one, but <em>two</em> traps. Tess, what the fuck is this? Who’s this kid?” he whispered in a fury.</p>
<p>“We didn’t set them <em>off</em>, we were waiting for you. Didn’t you see my smoke?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I fuckin’ saw it. Was on my way when I heard the traps goin’ off, and had to rush over to see what was goin’ on. Who knows what mess I’m gonna have after all this. You don’t speak?” Bill added, looking to Joel.</p>
<p>“Bill,” Joel finally nodded.</p>
<p>“<em>Joel</em>,” he nodded back.</p>
<p>“Long time no see…” Tess trailed off.</p>
<p>“<em>Who?</em>” Bill pointed his finger at Ellie, in complete paranoia.</p>
<p>“Can we talk about all this once we get outta this mess,” Joel complained, and motioned toward the infected. Bill huffed, then nodded silently.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The three of them managed to eliminate the infected without raising any alarm. Tess managed to explain the gist of their situation, while Bill looked over each and every one of them for bites. Joel was surprisingly apologetic, which seemed to shock both Ellie and Tess. They were eventually lead into a church, which appeared to be his safe haven. After locking the door behind them, he helped the pair to restock, while evaluating Ellie.</p>
<p>“So who’s idea was this?” he demanded, while glaring at Joel.</p>
<p>“Tess, actually,” Joel was quick to respond. Bill huffed, and shook his head.</p>
<p>“I thought you were smarter than that,” he chided. Tess shrugged, and examined his inventory.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of incentive here. And, it’s personal now,” she added softly. Bill scoffed, and Joel looked at her curiously.</p>
<p>“Personal? Jesus, Tess, this shit is gonna get you killed.”</p>
<p>“Believe me, I tried to tell her. But she’s committed.”</p>
<p>Tess flashed him a look of annoyance. Maybe he wasn’t as willing to follow her lead as he let on. Or maybe she’d willingly overlooked it.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry ‘bout them traps, Bill. Didn’t mean any harm,” Joel added softly.</p>
<p>Bill laughed without any humor.</p>
<p>“You don’t gotta kiss my ass. Hell, if it was just you, you probably woulda set off <em>all</em> my god damn traps. We’re lucky Tess knows her way around.”</p>
<p>Tess felt herself warm. Bill was a good friend, despite his…idiosyncrasies.</p>
<p>“I mean, you <em>did</em> wanna jump in guns blazing at the infected. That’s not a smart move,” Tess rebuked Joel, now aiming against him, seeing as how he’d done the same to her. It peeved her more than she wanted to admit.</p>
<p>“Joel, you’re not any better for going along with this shit. And being a god damn hot head’s gonna be the end of you anyway. You two make a fucked up pair.”</p>
<p>“Hey, fuck you man!” Ellie called.</p>
<p>Bill whipped around, thought it over, and let it go.</p>
<p>“God damn shame you got that kid involved, too.”</p>
<p>Joel and Tess sighed at the same time.</p>
<p>“Where’s the car, Bill?” Tess asked.</p>
<p>He explained the situation. The battery was stuck on the other end of town in the school where a military vehicle had crashed. It wouldn’t be easy getting that way, but if they could manage to keep it quiet, they might have a fair amount of luck. Tess had managed to scavenge a bow and some arrows from Bill after some schmoozing, and agreed to help him gather supplies on the way over there. With the two of them bows ready, they had a better chance at maintaining some sense of stealth. Joel could just as easily help with a chokehold. Ellie, who had begged for a weapon, was met with agreement from Bill and Tess, but <em>not</em> Joel.</p>
<p>Somehow, Joel had won that argument, at least for now.</p>
<p>As they readied themselves to journey toward the school, Ellie grumbled about not having a weapon when he wasn’t around.</p>
<p>“Listen, he’s old school, it’s the only way I can describe it. And, I need his head in the game, so I’m not trying to peeve him any more than I already have. Stick to bricks and bottles and learn how to work on your aim,” Tess encouraged her.</p>
<p>“Whatever…” Ellie complained.</p>
<p>“Hey, it helps,” Tess snapped back. She eventually nodded in agreement, and grabbed her backpack.</p>
<p>There were more infected than they’d planned on finding at the school, but all was well. They also couldn’t find the damn battery, and began to look elsewhere. Tess had forgotten how much she loved a bow. Paired with Bill, she was particularly deadly. Joel could tell she was loving every second. He’d even mumbled,<em> “Wipe that grin off your face, hot shot,” </em>on the way out. Tess just winked at him, and he shook his head.</p>
<p>They eventually found their car, too. Or, rather, a truck. Within that, she learned of a partnership that Bill had kept secret for quite some time. Frank, as he’d called him, had apparently tried to leave on his own before turning. Tess and Bill had found him hanging in the house. She’d never seen him have an emotional reaction to anything before. She also wondered why he’d kept such a secret from her.</p>
<p>But, mostly, she hoped he made him happy for however long they’d been together. She wondered how Joel would have fared had her luck been similar. It turned her stomach a little bit. She could feel Joel’s gaze on her back, quietly assessing what was going through her head.</p>
<p>While Bill took a moment, upon inspection of the house, she found Frank had written a harsh goodbye note, which turned her stomach even more. Bill was luckily nowhere near, and she quickly pocketed the note before he could see it. Joel raised an eyebrow, having seen what she’d done, but she shook her head for him to leave it alone.</p>
<p>In her opinion, Bill had probably suffered enough. He didn’t need to read it and feel more pain. His mood had soured significantly at the sight. But, after that hiccup, they were able to get the truck jump started.</p>
<p>Joel manned the wheel with Ellie in the backseat. Tess almost left things alone, but turned around before leaving.</p>
<p>“You never told me about Frank.”</p>
<p>He stared at her for a long time, unsure of where to go next.</p>
<p><em>“</em>Would you have cared?” he finally spat.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I would have…” she trailed off.</p>
<p>“It hurts like hell… losin’ someone like that. You all better take care of each other,” he finally managed to mumble.</p>
<p>“I thought you said we wouldn’t make it?” she teased.</p>
<p>“Listen, I dunno what the hell’s in your head, but if you <em>do</em> make it, you’d better start layin’ low. We’re gettin’ too old for this shit,” he pleaded.</p>
<p>She smiled to herself.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Bill. I’ll see ya, okay?”</p>
<p>“Get the fuck outta my town,” he said with a smile.</p>
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